National Festival of Making

What National Festival of Making does

National Festival of Making is a UK-registered Community Interest Company (CIC), established in 2016/2017 and headquartered in Blackburn, Lancashire. It produces a free annual public festival that celebrates making, manufacturing, and contemporary craft, drawing over 44,000 visitors to more than 100 events programmed across textiles, food, digital design, and traditional craft disciplines. The organisation was co-founded by designer Wayne Hemingway MBE and works in close partnership with national manufacturers, artists, schools, and local civic bodies.

Its core product is a multi-day programme of hands-on workshops, demonstrations, performances, artist residencies, and commissions, augmented by year-round satellite activity including school workshops, the Grad Micro Commissions scheme (introduced during the COVID-19 period), and funded residencies delivered in partnership with the Brian Mercer Trust and the IRIS award. Programming is delivered free at the point of consumption, with the festival physically anchored in Blackburn town centre.

The business model is grant-dependent and non-commercial. Revenue is drawn primarily from Arts Council England (the organisation is a National Portfolio Organisation for the 2023-2026 funding cycle), local authority grants (Blackburn with Darwen Council), trust and foundation donations (Brian Mercer Trust, others), ERDF-linked programme funding, and a small contribution from fee-based workshops. The organisation employs approximately 9 staff and operates on a not-for-profit basis with no ticket income.

Name

National Festival of Making

Legal name

The Festival of Making CIC

Website

https://festivalofmaking.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Festival of Making is a UK non-profit (CIC) that runs a free annual festival in Blackburn, Lancashire, celebrating making and manufacturing through 100+ workshops, residencies, and events for over 44,000 visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Festival and Community Arts Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAEAG

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Cultural Festivals & Community Events

SECONDARYBPAGAHAG

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYMPAGAFAJ

Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Exhibitions, Fairs & Expos (Consumer/Public)

Keywords

• Cultural festival programming
• Artist manufacturing residencies
• Community arts workshops
• Public art commissions
• Arts council funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackburn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Attendance: The festival is free to attend for all visitors. No direct revenue is generated from admissions.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The festival relies on donations from visitors and supporters to support commissioning new work, artist payments, and workshop delivery.
3. Government and Trust Funding: Core operational funding comes from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Lancashire County Council, and various trusts including Brian Mercer Trust and The Granada Foundation.
4. Workshop Fees: Some educational workshops carry a nominal fee for participants, partially subsidised by funders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Festival of Making delivers a free annual cultural festival in Blackburn town centre featuring over 100 events and activities including workshops, exhibitions, commissions, performances, and hands-on making experiences. The organization also runs a year-round programme including the Art in Manufacturing residency series that pairs artists with UK manufacturers, along with learning initiatives, public art projects, and educational workshops.

Product overview

The National Festival of Making is a free annual festival delivered by Festival of Making CIC that brings together artists, industry, makers, and communities through extraordinary commissions, exhibitions, workshops, talks, performances, and hands-on experiences. The core offering consists of the Festival Weekend (held annually in Blackburn with 100+ events attracting 44,000+ visitors), the Art in Manufacturing residency programme (pairing artists with manufacturers since 2017), and a Year Round Programme of ongoing projects. Supporting initiatives include Graduate Micro Commissions, Festival in a Box creative kits, and annual seasonal publications documenting the programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Art in Manufacturing: Headline commissioning programme that pairs artists with manufacturers for residencies and exhibitions
• Festival in a Box
• Graduate Micro Commissions
• Dodecalis Luminarium

Products and services

• Festival Weekend The annual National Festival of Making weekend event held in Blackburn town centre, featuring over 100 events and activities including workshops, exhibitions, commissions, performances, and hands-on making experiences. Free and open to all.
• Art in Manufacturing Headline commissioning programme that pairs artists with manufacturing companies for residencies to create new artwork. Each season publishes a detailed brochure documenting the artist experiences and themes explored.
• Year Round Programme Ongoing year-round cultural programme supporting artists, creating new work, and celebrating making in all its forms. Includes Projects, People & Groups, and Learning components.
• Festival in a Box Creative activity boxes distributed to children across Blackburn and Darwen during COVID-19 pandemic. Each box contained art materials, stationery, and activities designed by commissioned artists, with the box itself engineered to transform into a making table.
• Graduate Micro Commissions Commissioning programme for recent creative degree graduates from Lancashire-based universities, providing opportunities to create new work during the pandemic with mentoring from industry professionals.
• Dodecalis Luminarium Monumental inflatable sculpture by Architects of Air, featuring winding paths and inspiring domes occupying 750-1000m2. Inspired by Islamic and Gothic architecture, the structure uses natural light filtering through varied coloured walls to create a sensory experience.
• Of Earth & Sky Public realm poetry project by Luke Jerram in collaboration with poet Hafsah Aneela Bashir, featuring metre-high poetry displayed across 30+ locations in Blackburn and Darwen, including waterways, town squares, parks, and digital screens.
• Assembly Workshop Series Contemporary sculpture workshop series with artist Maisie Pritchard teaching paper pulping and modroc techniques. Collaborative project where participants created sculptures exhibited at Prism Contemporary.
• Clayful Pottery Workshops with Hollie Cooper Clayful pottery workshop series led by artist Hollie Cooper, teaching the hand-building process of 'drape-forming' to create bespoke ceramic plates. Open to ages 16+, partially subsidised.
• Sign Writing Workshop with byUMBERTO Sign Writing Workshop with artist Robert Walker (byUMBERTO) exploring traditional brush and Mahl stick techniques. 5-hour workshop held at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery.
• Adorning with Clay 8-week contemporary ceramics workshop series with artist Aliyah Hussain exploring jewellery, movement and memory through sculptural jewellery and collaborative textile pieces.

Quantifiable outcome

• 44,000+ annual visitors to festival events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• Creative LancashirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partnership supporting the festival's artistic programming and cultural development across Lancashire.
• Deco PubliquesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partnership providing artistic and curatorial expertise to the festival programme.
• Hemingway DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partnership with co-founder Wayne Hemingway MBE's design studio, providing design expertise and industry credibility to the festival.
• Source CreativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency providing branding and website services. Also created exhibition graphics for Art in Manufacturing.
• theCOLABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative laboratory connecting people, land and art. Co-edited and produced the Radical Pairings publication documenting Art in Manufacturing Season 6 artists. Director Claire Mander serves as Director and Curator of theCOLAB.
• Blackburn Museum & Art GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey venue partner for exhibitions and workshops. Hosts Art in Manufacturing exhibitions and festival-related educational activities.
• Arts LancashiremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty arts body providing strategic support and celebrating the festival's National Portfolio Organisation status as strengthening Lancashire's wider cultural sector.
• Gloucester Culture TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal commissioner of the Of Earth and Sky project with artist Luke Jerram, which was adapted for Lancashire.
• Poetry Health ServicesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioned the Of Earth and Sky poetry project. Founded by poet Hafsah Aneela Bashir.
• Blackburn Rovers Football ClubsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball club partner hosting poetry installation MISS YOU MATE on stadium grounds as part of Of Earth and Sky project.
• HOME McrsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerManchester arts venue that co-commissioned Poetry Health Service.
• Oldham ColiseumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre that co-commissioned Poetry Health Service alongside HOME Mcr.
• The Creative ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlackburn's Local Cultural Education Partnership leading the collaboration on the Let's Make creative activity boxes. Chaired by Jaffer Hussain.
• Youth ActionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth sector specialist and partner in distributing creative activity boxes to families.
• Curious MindssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSector support organisation providing expertise for the creative activity boxes partnership.
• You Good StudiosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative studio (Emma Colbert-Mooring) partnered to create free activity booklet inspired by Dodecalis Luminarium.
• Architects of AircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInflatable art company founded by Alan Parkinson in 1992. Created Dodecalis Luminarium for festival 2021, attracting thousands of visitors over 4 days at Corporation Park.
• Blackburn Art GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey venue host for INDUSTRIALISED exhibition showcasing Art in Manufacturing works alongside international artists, June-September 2019.
• Animo PRsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPress agency handling media enquiries for the festival.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• London Craft Week: Annual UK event celebrating contemporary craftsmanship and making, featuring workshops, exhibitions and maker commissions. Highly comparable focus on craft, manufacturing and hands-on making experiences targeted at general public audiences.
• Just So Festival: UK family-focused arts and outdoor festival featuring creative workshops, performances and immersive experiences. Comparable as a UK Festival Awards finalist in similar family-festival categories with multidisciplinary arts programming.
• Hay Festival: Major UK literary and cultural festival featuring talks, workshops and performances, free or low-cost in many strands. Comparable as a UK cultural festival using community-led programming with strong press profile and public-funder support.
• Edinburgh Festival Fringe: The world's largest arts festival, held annually in Edinburgh with free and ticketed events across multiple venues. Comparable as a large-scale UK cultural festival combining free public programming with year-round sectoral impact.
• Manchester International Festival: Biennial UK arts festival producing large-scale commissions, performances and exhibitions in a northern English city. Directly comparable operating model as a producer of original cultural programming reliant on public and trust funding, and overlapping board expertise (a former Festival of Making director previously worked at MIF).
• Folkestone Triennial: Free UK contemporary art event featuring commissioned public artworks and installations in Folkestone. Comparable as a free arts festival using public realm installations to drive cultural tourism and regeneration in a regional English town.
• Aldeburgh Festival (Snape Maltings): Long-running UK arts festival featuring music, performance and visual arts, delivered with public funding support. Comparable as a publicly-funded UK arts festival operating in a regional location with year-round programming alongside its annual event.
• British Ceramics Biennial: Free UK festival dedicated to contemporary ceramics held in Stoke-on-Trent, pairing international artists with the area's ceramics industry. Closely comparable to Festival of Making as a free, multidisciplinary arts festival celebrating UK industrial craft heritage and engaging local communities.
• Coventry UK City of Culture 2021: Major UK cultural programme delivering year-round arts commissions, events and community programming in a post-industrial city. Comparable as a publicly-funded cultural regeneration initiative combining artist commissions, community engagement and free public events.

Broad incumbents

• Somerset House (cultural programme): Major London arts centre delivering year-round exhibitions, commissions and festivals including London Craft Week. Comparable as a venue and programming organisation commissioning artist-manufacturer collaborations and craft-focused cultural events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIhCFkEydbRgeUNcA9e_U4Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/festofmaking
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefestivalofmaking
• TikToktiktok.com/@thefestivalofmaking
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-festival-of-making

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Festival of Making